Treatment of petroleum.



Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

[Nut/V7154 TREATMENT E PETROLEUM.

Specification of Ietters Patent.

Application filed December 12, 1910. Serial No. 596,984.

particular reference to amethod of distil ling petroleum to produce asphalt and asphaltic residual bodies.

' .Distillation of hydrocarbon oils, having an asphaltic base, has been extensively and is now generally carried on in cylindrical and other stills, into which the crude oil is let and in which it distilled in bulk. A large number of methods have been devised for preventing deterioration of the basic asphalt after the distillates have been driven off, but I have found that coking or carbonization of some of the asphaltic products 15- unavoidable in bulk distillation, and have discovered that the distillation of petroleum in suspension will yield a purer and greater quantity of both distillates and asphalt, with a corresponding increase in economy in heat units;

By reference to the accompanying drawing, my invention will be more clearly understood.

Figure 1, is a'sectional elevation of a still for carrying out my invention, and Fig. 2, is a sectional "detail showing a means or regulating the size of the drops.

The still for carrying out the process to be more fully described hereinafter, consists of a vertical still chamber 1, of any suitable height, having in communication therewith an elongated flue 2, in the forward end of which is located the heat producing medium,

-' such for example as an oil burner 3. The

flue 2,' is sufliciently long to prevent flames from the oil burners-enterin the still chamber, it being an important 0 ject to prevent physical contactof the flame with-the petroleum body radiated heat alone being utilized to effect-the distillation of the petro leum, and the production of the asphalt and asphalt: bodies, and such radiated heat may be combustion gases, heated air, superheated steam or combinations of heated air, su erheated steam and combustion gases. ere coke is employed, as seen at 4, for the obtherefrom is increased by the use of air, introduced by an air jet 5.

. In and covering the entire forward end of'the flue 2, is a wire gauze.6 of about 50 mesh or finer, provided for the purpose of enter the flue, its action being similar to the gauze in a Davy lamp. An apron 6', inclined inwardly away from the still chamber serves to prevent the petroleum from enteringthe flue. Petroleum oil is fed throu h pipe 7, leading from a suitable supply tan not shown, to a rose'or dropper 8, in the na ture of a foraminous pan which 'is fastened onto the end of the feed pipe 7 and suspend ed in the top of the still chamber 1, into which the oil is distributed in drops, as seen at 9. Onto the end of the shank B, and immediately below and in contact with the bottom of said foraminous' pan 8 is secured a perforated plate C. 'By manipulation of thereby regulating-the size of the openings in the pan, and consequently controlling the size of the drops. The size of the drop depends upon the asphaltic product desired and-the intensity of the ascending heat currents, which of course determines the, rapidity of distillation of each descending drop, the distance of the descent, size of the drops'and the degree being always. calculable by the asphalt which falls'to the bottom of the still chamber 1, such bottom being below the heat' zone, preventing thereby coking of the asphalt but admitting of the continuous production of asphalt. The asphalt escapes from the bottom ,of the still through outlet pipell, to a collector, not shown, surplus gases being taken 011'? the asphalt' 'during its travel to the collector, by pipe 12, connected with said outlet pipe, and provided with a-valve 12". When it is found desirable to preheat the crude oil before delivering it to the dr'opperS, the valve 13, on .the feed pipe 7, is closed, and. the valve 14, on pipe 15, opened, causing thereby the oil to flow throu h said pipe 15, whic enters the still cham er at the bottom, and extends along the walls many with the feed pipe slightly above the dropper.

The: distillates are carried out of the still pipe 17, some of-the products of distillation being condensed in said pipe 17, by steam Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

preventing an explosion of gases that may the hand wheel 10, the plate G is moved,

chamber to the condense'r'1'6, through the.

tainment' of heat, the heat of the gases I thereof, connecting sprays 18 and 19, supplied from the,main steam pipe 20, and controlled by valves 21, 22 and 22'. These steam sprays 18 and 19, serve also to maintain a certain amount of suction to assist in carrying oil the distillates from the still chamber, but in order to insure ositively the drawing oil of the condensab e products, I have provided a vacuum ump 23, which is connected to pipe 24, leading from the condenser 16, and through which pipe 24, the uncondensed gases may be drawn to a condenser at another point, or by manipulation of valves 25 and 26, such gases may be allowed to escape to the atmosphere. The uncondensed gases are prevented from traveling with the condensed gases to the storage tank, by a trap '27, connected to the end of the condenser 16.

, As stated in the preamble hereto, superheated steam and ases of combustion may also be'used for the ist-illation. Tothisenda superheater 28, is disposed in the fire box or 'flue 2, and in the direct path of the flame from the oil burner 3, steam being supplied to the superheater through the pipe 29, connected with a enerator not shown. The superheated fluid is admitted to the still chamber 1, through the nozzle 30, which 15 connected with the superheater by a pipe 31, having a valve'32. Where itis desired to utilize superheated steam, uncontaminated by the gases of combustion, the valve 32, is closed and the valve 33, on p 1pe 34, opened, admitting through such pipe 34, which is connected with any suitab e superheater, not shown, and located at any suitable point, the pure superheated fluid.

Where the superheated steam is not used, the valve 34', on the pipe 35, connected with pipe 31, is opened, permitting the steam to escape to the atmos here. Hot air may also be used to distil i desired. In such case, the valves 316 and 33, 02:31 the steam lsupply i 29, an t e pipe respective y, are iti te, and the valve 37, opened. The valve '38, on the air ipe 39, leading to the still chamber 1, is a so closed. After the valve 40, on the air pipe 41, which connects with a force pump, 42, and the valve 43,.on the pipe 44, which connects the saidpi 41, with the superheater 28, are opened: the pump 42, is started, forcing the airthrou h the superheater, and eventually into t e still chamber 1, through the nozzle 30. By closing the valve 43, air may be delivered directly to the still chamber 1, to oxidize the oil, where this is found neeassa An air induction pipe 45, is also provide in the bottom of the still chamber 1, to an ply air to the still, the quantity being re ted by valve- 46. By this process, asphalt may be continuously produced, the quality and grade being always under the control of the operator of the still, several provisions having been incorporated to prevent coking of the drops in transz'tu, as seen at 45 and 39, where cold air may be admitted to the still chamber to modify or cool the temperature.

I have referred throughout the specification to various means for producing the heat necessary for the distillation of the petroleum body, and in the claims, have used the word heat. It will be understood that all forms of heat capable of use in carrying out the process herein defined, are included in the generic term heat, the special kind of heat and the mode of utilization depending to a large extent upon the results obtained and desired.

Though I have illustrated a dropper for distributing the oil in drops to the still chamber, and have described a process of distilling by heating the dropsithus distributed to a distillin temperature, it does not follow that such 1s the only method of continuous distillation and production of asphaltic products. As stated, the degree of distillation depends upon the height of the fall and the degree of heat, in other words, upon the length of exposure of the petroleum body in suspense to the distilling temperature. Thus by increasing the height and the heat proportionably, the petroleum may be continuously introduced into the still, and distillation to various points, even to the production of coke, carried on.

In the practice of my invention, it is well to keep the supply of air just sufiicient, or a very little more, to maintain combustion, therebypreventing any 0 gen from passing through with the pro diicts of combust on, the ob ect being to prevent the formation of explosive mixtures by the mingling of the oxygen with the vapors.

The process hereinbefore defined is adapted to the treatment of any of the oils having volatile constituents, such for instance as petroleum with an asphaltic or a parafiin base. Its chief use, however will be in treating the California oils containing a large percentage of asphalt, the recovery and preservation of which in its ure natural eondition is the primeobject 0 this invenion.

Qylinder distilling as now practiced, re-

quires the aid of many agents to properly obtain the base of the natural oil. Agitation is one of the most indispensable steps in -order to avoid the creation of what are known as carbinesfl and coking. And generally aking, where there is a nonuniform dispersion of heat through the body, coking is impossible to guard against,

unless the body under treatment be drum of or the heat cut of before the petroleum is run down to the grade desired.

I have devised the arrangement shown for the purpose of canf'ying out a continuous process most suited or thatnatment of potroleum oils, whereby distillation maybe little or great and various grades of asphalt obtained at any time desired. The heated gases of combustion are preferably created in the flue which forms a part of the still or vaporizing chamber 1, and when developed they ascend in the still chamber 1, and each and every particle of oil that descends thereinto fromthe dropper 8, is environed by a cloak of higlr heat. Where there is an exposure of small globules of oil, the evolution of the vapors contained therein niust'be proportionately large, depending, upon the heat of the gases and the size of theglobule, both of which areregulable according to the amount of distillate desired, the quantity of oil to be treated, and'the nature of the resultant product desired.

\Vhen a large quantity of petroleum is to be treated with a corresponding large yield of vapors, and asphalt or asphaltic residuum, the oil maybe pre-heated by passing the same through the pipe that is located within the still chamber. or in any other suitable manner, and the heat in the flue increased, so that the small drops of oil are each exposed to :a higher temperature. llence all'distillation in this apparatus is proportional. T he distillates are exhausted through the vpipe 17, both light and heavy products of vaporization, also the products ofcombustion leaving the still at one and the same time, for further treatment.

This apparatus is particularly useful for into a gas, which is carried off in the same manner as the vapors from the oil Foaming of the drops may be unlimited, for such action would have no effect on the continued operation of the still or process of drying.

What I claim, is:

The method of treating petroleum todry, and free the same from water, distil or produceiasphalt therefrom, consisting in continuously causing the petroleum to drop, in

racuo, in the presence of ascending currents of combustion gases todrive off the lighter Vproducts fnom each of said drops while in suspension and collecting the asphaltic res1duum below the heat zone, the size of the drops being varied according to the ascending heat and to the product desired.

In testimony whereof I have set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.-

i. JESSE A. DUBBS.

Witnesses:

VAT/PER C. Mans'rox, F. IF. McCLAnY. 

